


to capture the truth in a moment

by determination



Category: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci - Diana Wynne Jones
Genre: F/M, M/M, Pining, lots of pining, with a happy end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:49:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/determination/pseuds/determination
Summary: Drat, Conrad thought, what a wretched time to be hit by a spell.or:Conrad has to deal with his feelings.
Relationships: Christopher Chant/Millie/Conrad Tesdinic
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	to capture the truth in a moment

**Author's Note:**

> i didn't expect this to get that long so the word count surprised me when i finished it haha;;;   
> hmm there's quite a bit of my own invention in here. idk what conrad's job would be like, or what his magic actually is, but i had a lot of fun imagining it and i hope i did an ok job explaining my ideas. that and i really do picture conrad unable to put down his camera. he just likes taking pictures :')   
> (the title is a play on that because in some ways, it's the pictures he takes that force him to stop hiding from the truth)  
> at any rate i love these characters very much and i want them to be happy together :')))  
> (also as far as the series goes, i've only read charmed life, the lives of christopher chant, conrad's fate, and witch week so that limited which characters i included <:3)  
> no criticism or critiques please. i hope you enjoy!

It wasn’t like Conrad to get distracted - at least, not on a job. He wasn’t sure what happened. Maybe it was lack of sleep, maybe he should have finished that whole cup of tea before he and Prendergast set out to corner their quarry. All he knew was that his fingers on the camera were slower than usual. As he snapped the picture, the one that would seal their quarry’s magic, he felt something heavy knock the wind out of him, and a strong whistling sound echoed in his ears. Drat, he thought, what a wretched time to be hit by a spell. One second sooner and he could have avoided this. If only he weren’t so…

By the time he realized he’d blacked out, Prendergast was gripping him by the shoulders. “Conrad, stay with me, lad,” he was saying with evident concern. Conrad shook his head, trying to dispel the odd fog of whatever had incapacitated him. 

“What happened?” he asked. 

“The bastard seemed to have anticipated us,” Prendergast answered, brows knitted. “Got you with that spell right before you sealed his magic. But no need to worry, we captured him with no other trouble. How are you feeling? Any idea what sort of spell it is?”

“No idea,” Conrad admitted. He still felt dazed. He wanted to assure his companion that he was probably fine, but as he opened his mouth to say so, different words came out. “I don’t feel so well.” It was true, but he had no idea why he said it when he’d been aiming to allay Prendergast’s concerns. Now, the older man looked more worried than ever. 

“Let’s get you back,” Prendergast said. “I’ll have a word with the King about figuring out this spell.”

Conrad was still too bewildered by the way his tongue refused to obey him, so he simply nodded this time. He didn’t protest as Prendergast helped him to his feet.

Figuring out the spell seemed like a good avenue to explore. Even so, Conrad knew who would likely be summoned in order to do so, and he rather hoped this wouldn’t be the case.

Hoping was futile.

He was back at the castle and settled to rest while Prendergast relayed the situation to the King. It wasn’t long before three figures arrived to join him: Prendergast, the King, and Christopher Chant. 

Conrad felt his stomach twist at the sight of him. There Christopher was, more dashing than ever in that luxurious suit that made him look as important as the King himself. How long had it been since Conrad last saw him? He hardly dared consider it, especially not when he’d tried so very hard to avoid seeing him. 

Lords of Karma have mercy, he really was too handsome for his own good. How could anyone stand being around him for more than a few minutes without swooning? And why were these thoughts so difficult to stop? Conrad did his best to squash the thoughts from his mind as the trio reached him.

“When they told me you’d been hit by a spell, I thought I’d find you worse off, Grant. Glad to see you’re looking alright,” Christopher said, and he did seem relieved. Something about hearing the old nickname made Conrad’s heart stutter uncomfortably in his chest.

“You look amazing, as always,” Conrad responded and lifted his camera to take Christopher’s picture. It wasn’t at all the,  _ Good to see you _ , he’d been trying to say, and he flushed when Christopher raised a brow at him. “Er. Hallo, Christopher,” he added sheepishly, lowering his camera and averting his gaze.

“Can you locate the spell?” Prendergast asked Christopher. “What’s afflicting him?”

“Give me a moment,” Christopher chuckled. Conrad jolted with surprise when he felt Christopher’s hands on his shoulders. “Forgive the intrusion, Grant, but I do need to take a look at you.”

And then Christopher was very much in Conrad’s personal space. It was hard not to look at him. He couldn’t help it. Christopher had the sort of face that looked good no matter what he did, and even more so when he was determinedly focused on something. Without even noticing, Conrad had raised his camera again to snap another photo. Conrad’s tampered mind was quite drawn in, and Conrad found himself thinking how badly he wanted to wrap his arms behind Christopher’s neck and kiss him. That thought startled him enough to look away. His face felt very warm, and he was sure if he didn’t put all of his effort into keeping his mouth shut, he would blurt something he’d regret.

He could feel Christopher’s gaze on him, thoughtful, probing. He wondered if Christopher could read his thoughts, and had half a mind to offer an apology for the unseemly way he’d been thinking, but thankfully Christopher leaned back and released him at that moment. Conrad tried to keep his sigh of relief as quiet as possible.

“It appears,” Christopher said, “to be a simple, albeit strong, truth spell. The man you were after didn’t realize you had the ability to seal his magic, and I wager he had planned to use this to gather pertinent information from you.”

“A truth spell?” the King repeated. 

Christopher gave a bland smile. “Indeed. Nothing inherently dangerous, I assure you. The potency suggests it should last for several days before wearing off.”

Alarm overtook Conrad. “What do you mean wear off? Can’t you just take it off me?” He asked, ashamed by the nervousness that seeped into his voice. He would’ve really rather been calm at the moment. 

“Oh, I would, Grant, believe me,” Christopher said. He’d taken on the specific tone which Conrad knew he used when he was purposefully overexplaining to avoid being outright truthful. “And if I’d been there when you were first hit, it would have been a simple task. But the spell has had enough time to bind to you, and I’m afraid attempting to remove it at this stage would pose an unnecessary risk to your psyche.”

It wasn’t a convincing excuse to Conrad. He’d had far worse when they’d first met, and Christopher had removed every spell without Conrad even knowing. And that was long before he took over as Chrestomanci. The idea that  _ Chrestomanci _ couldn’t take care of a simple truth spell was so laughable that Conrad actually struggled to maintain his composure. Christopher gave Conrad a bewildered look, which he wasted no time in photographing.

To Conrad’s astonishment though, the other two bought Christopher’s explanation with great ease. “It would be unwise, then, to set him back to work,” the King said. Conrad’s eyes went round. 

“Quite,” Christopher said, obviously pleased with himself. Conrad almost wanted to smack him, but he was still looking so infernally attractive that he couldn’t really look at Christopher for more than a few seconds. “Indeed, I would ill advise you leave him alone here. If you approve, I can take him back with me and keep a close eye on him until the spell has worn off.”

If possible, Conrad’s eyes went rounder. His brain was screaming with all the reasons he shouldn’t do this. It would ruin all the effort Conrad had put into avoiding Christopher (and Millie, for that matter). And Christopher was lying anyhow! But all that left him when he opened his mouth was, “I’d love that.” This made Christopher stifle a snort, and Conrad felt his cheeks grow very red. He took another photo as an excuse to hide his face.

“But of course,” the King said emphatically, and Prendergast stood behind him, nodding and looking very decided. “Pray, send word of any updates. And Tesdinic, please take this time to rest. You’ve more than earned it.”

Conrad rather thought he hadn’t. He would have gladly kept working until he collapsed from exhaustion, but his brain had other ideas. It was now very fixated on the way Christopher was watching him with fond amusement, a small smile tugging at his perfect lips. Oh bother, not his lips. It took all of his strength not to photograph them.

Conrad was still thinking about how he wanted to kiss Christopher while they finished negotiating the plans for his impromptu vacation. Sooner than he would have liked, he was standing with Christopher at the portal he’d used to travel to Series Seven. “Rest well, Conrad,” Prendergast told him sincerely. “And rest assured, I’ll work hard in your absence. Though I doubt I’ll be half as productive without you.”

“Grant? Productive?” Christopher snorted again. “Not in my experience.”

The words were out of Conrad’s mouth before he could think to catch them. “That’s just because you’re too good of a distraction.” His eyes widened when he realized the three of them were looking at him, and clapped a shocked hand over his mouth. 

“I like this Grant,” Christopher said quietly as he planted an arm around Conrad’s waist. The touch made Conrad feel lightheaded. “You’re adorable when you can’t stop yourself.” 

Lords of Karma, give him strength. Conrad’s whole face burned as he bid goodbye to Prendergast and the King before he felt the familiar  _ whoosh _ of being transported out of Series Seven.

\--

Chrestomanci Castle felt much the same as the last time he’d been there. The suppression spells were always overwhelming, but it actually felt welcoming this time because it also affected the truth spell. The urges to do or say something disgraceful were marginally more manageable. At least, until Conrad got his bearings and realized Millie was standing before them, looking bewildered.

“Conrad!” she exclaimed. He was so happy to hear her say his name that he instinctively lifted his camera and took her picture. She was unperturbed, and, after giving Conrad a once over, turned narrowed eyes to Christopher. Clearly she suspected him of what Conrad knew Christopher had done, perhaps more.

“Hold on now, Millie,” Christopher hastily stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder, towing her further from Conrad so that he was unable to hear their hushed conversation. Despite himself, Conrad felt guilty. He hoped his unannounced arrival was not unwanted. Or an inconvenience. Or whatever other negative possibility his mind could come up with. He would have hated to intrude upon the two very people he cared about the most. 

He was bubbling with sentiments when Millie and Christopher came back. All he got out was “I missed you,” before Millie threw her arms around him and everything went fuzzy and warm. He must have looked absolutely blissful because Christopher was trying very hard to keep from laughing.

“Oh, Conrad, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Millie said passionately. Her voice was close to Conrad’s ear that it sent a shiver down his spine. “When we’d heard something had happened to you, it was difficult not to let myself assume the worst. I’m ever so grateful it was only a mere truth spell.”

“A mere truth spell?” Conrad repeated. “It may sound harmless, but in the few hours I’ve been under it, I’ve embarrassed myself shamelessly.” Like right now, for instance. He wanted to let Millie go and to drop the subject, but nothing wanted to cooperate with him. “I’m just really glad to see you both. I missed you terribly.” He winced.

“We missed you, too, my dear,” Millie said. She drew back to give him a puzzled smile. “But I could have sworn it felt as though you were avoiding us of late.”

“I was,” Conrad said, and winced again. Curse this spell. His face flushed as Millie looked even more puzzled. “Er. Don’t ask. Please.” He knew if she did he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from admitting just how fond of both of them he was, and he really didn’t want to have that conversation at the moment.

Even if Millie had wanted to ask, she didn’t get the chance. There was the sound of rapid footfall, and very soon Julia and Roger came bursting into the room, looking every bit as excited as if their birthdays had arrived early. “Uncle Conrad!” they both exclaimed, bounding up to him with sparkling eyes. “We didn’t know you were coming over!” Roger said breathlessly. 

“I didn’t either,” Conrad said, laughing as the children clung to him. They were always so exuberant, such sweet children. He’d grown almost as fond of them as if they were his own. Which was embarrassing to admit to himself, and he was rather annoyed that the truth spell even affected such thoughts. 

“How long will he be staying, Daddy?” Julia asked, and she looked eagerly from Conrad to Christopher.

“A few days, at least,” Christopher said with a chuckle. Conrad wasn’t sure if he added the  _ at least _ to make the kids happy, or if he actually intended for Conrad to stay longer. He wanted to stay longer. Now that he was here again, he found he didn’t want to leave. It was… certainly difficult to be unable to ignore his deepest desires. 

With little other choice, Conrad let the children commandeer him. It was better than lingering and praying that neither Millie nor Christopher would ask the damning questions that would spell his doom. He hoped the rest of his time here wouldn’t provide more such opportunities.

Julia and Roger led him to the playroom, where he found Janet and Cat, as well. He hadn’t had nearly as much time to acquaint himself with them, but he knew Janet was a feisty, intelligent girl, and Cat was the quiet, inquisitive type. Conrad was predisposed to like them because Christopher had spoken affectionately about them whenever given the chance.

“Oh, it’s Uncle Conrad,” Janet said, surprised. She’s been reading a book, which she set aside in favor of grinning toward Conrad, who was currently sporting Julia clinging to one arm and Roger clinging to the other. “Hallo, Uncle Conrad!”

“Hallo,” Cat echoed. He wasn’t as outwardly enthusiastic as the other children, but his countenance did seem to soften a bit. Conrad found himself touched by how much they all seemed to genuinely like him. He didn’t really feel worthy, but it made him happy all the same.

“Hallo,” he returned cheerfully, “I missed you all.”

“Really?” Roger asked. He leaned heavily on Conrad’s arm. “We thought you’d be far too busy to think of us.”

“Never!” Conrad declared, and the children laughed.

Most of the evening was devoted to entertaining the excitable children. Conrad didn’t mind. It kept his mind off the predicament he was in, and he didn’t have to worry half as much about saying something embarrassing with them. That was, until Janet got a glint in her eye. It reminded him of the way Christopher looked when he got a naughty idea. 

“Say, Uncle Conrad, how did you and Chrestomanci meet?” she asked with keen interest. 

“Oh yes, won’t you tell us?” Julia expressed her own interest in the subject. “Daddy told us a little but I long to hear more!”

Conrad knew it was ridiculous to think that they somehow knew he was bound to truth at the moment. Otherwise, how else would they know to ask him this particular question on this particular evening? It wasn’t that he really minded talking about the past. He had gotten past the point of his chest tightening when he thought of his uncle, and it wasn’t as if Christopher had ever forbade him from discussing their time at Stallery.

Well, even if he had wished to avoid the subject, his mouth had already opened. “It started when I was about twelve years old.”

In truth, it was fun to relay the series of events to the children. They hung on his every word, quite engrossed in each detail he described. In particular, Julia and Roger enjoyed Conrad’s recounting of their father’s teenaged troublemaking. “Daddy was worse than we are,” Julia snickered. Conrad could see her and Roger’s minds working to find ways to use this knowledge to their advantage. He sent a silent apology to Christopher and hoped he wouldn’t hold it against Conrad. After all, he was the one who was so insistent upon him coming. 

At least, that’s what Conrad told himself. He tried to pretend he didn’t remember how starstruck he’d been at seeing Christopher again. Maybe Christopher knew he’d wanted to come here again. Maybe he deliberately didn’t take the spell off because it was an excuse for Conrad to take a break. If he thought of it that way, he was rather grateful. But he didn’t think that really explained the secretiveness Christopher exhibited when he spoke to Millie when they arrived.

“What a wild story,” Janet said in awe. “You were so strong, to get through all of that. I don’t envy the bad familial relations.” She cringed and shot a look toward Cat, whose expression darkened. Conrad faintly remembered Christopher explaining the circumstances surrounding Janet, who had come from another world, and Cat’s sister, who had abused Cat and forced Janet to take her place. He sympathized, and when Cat met his eye, he gave the young boy a kind smile. 

“It wasn’t so bad,” Conrad said. “After all, I got to meet Chris- er, Chrestomanci and Millie.”

Janet’s eyes brightened. “You must love them very much.”

“I do,” Conrad said earnestly. And then his face turned very red. He extended a word of thanks to the Lords of Karma for Christopher’s and Millie’s absence when he said it.

“We do, too!” Julia said with a happy giggle.

Conrad nearly jumped out of his skin when the door to the playroom opened and Christopher’s head poked in. Drat. He hoped he hadn’t just accidentally summoned Christopher. He really hoped Christopher hadn’t overheard. “I hate to interrupt,” Christopher said, gazing dreamily around at all of them, “But the hour is getting late, and children should be getting ready to sleep.” 

There was much objecting, but Christopher would not budge, and soon, the four young ones were herded from the room to begin preparing for bed. Conrad was almost sorry to watch them go. Reliving his past had proved both entertaining and detrimental. Certainly, the children enjoyed it. And Conrad liked remembering all the details, as well. But it also reminded him of just how much he had loved Christopher and Millie even back then.

Conrad winced. He hadn’t meant to say  _ love _ . Janet had planted the word in his mind, that’s all. He tried to convince himself it was a mistake and not the honest truth that he’d tried so desperately to ignore.

After all, Christopher and Millie had each other. They’d always been inseparable, all these years. Conrad would just be intruding.

“You look tired,” Christopher said, and Conrad started, having forgotten he was there. Christopher was grinning. “The children didn’t run you ragged, did they?”

Conrad shook his head, face pink. He stupidly found himself hoping once more that Christopher wasn’t a mind reader. He wanted to say something vague, about having a long day, but he realized too late that the truth spell wouldn’t let him. “I told them about our past. They really liked hearing about Stallery.”

Christopher’s eyes widened a bit. He didn’t look mad, though, which was a relief. “Did you, now.”

“Would you rather I didn’t?” Conrad wanted to let the subject go, but his tongue had other ideas. 

“Oh, no, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest,” Christopher laughed. “I suppose you didn’t have a choice, given your current condition.” Conrad gave him a wry look. “Well, I for one am glad you talked about it. I think you could use a little bit of reminiscing.”

Now Conrad blinked at him, confused. “What do you mean?” he asked. But Christopher was waving a hand, and Conrad rather wished it was Christopher under a truth spell instead of him. He wanted answers he knew he wouldn’t get.

“Shall I show you to your room now?” Christopher offered. “I don’t doubt you could use the rest.”

With a sigh, Conrad nodded. Perhaps if he went to sleep early, he would be able to sleep off the remainder of the spell. It was a pipe dream, he knew, but it was all he could think to keep himself from focusing on how warm Christopher’s expression was while they walked. He couldn’t help snapping a photo.

\--

Sleeping, to Conrad’s dismay, did little to help. When he awoke, he was so overwhelmed by thoughts of how glad he was to be here and how badly he had missed Christopher and Millie that he almost rolled over and pretended to be asleep when the maid came in. “Breakfast will be ready soon,” she said cheerfully. “It’s good to see you again, Conrad.”

Conrad was quite pleased by the amount of attention he’d received upon arriving here. It made him feel cared about and wanted, which he still wasn’t sure he deserved, but it felt nice anyway. The only issue was that it also made him not want to leave. “Good to see you too, Euphemia,” he said, stretching and sitting up in bed. 

It wasn’t until he was dressed and leaving the room that he realized the location where Christopher had situated him. This wasn’t any old room. It was the room closest to Christopher’s and Millie’s bedroom. Conrad’s heart started pounding. He didn’t actually want to think about Christopher and Millie sleeping, or him sleeping with them, but his mind had decided to imagine even the finer details. That he would be sandwiched between them, Christopher’s longer legs tangled with his and Millie’s arms around his waist. They’d both have their heads on his shoulders, their breath tickling his skin. They’d be so warm, their weight so comfortable, that Conrad would never want to get out of bed in the morning.

He thought his heart would stop when a voice came from behind him. “You alright, Grant? Your face is as red as a ripe tomato.” It took a great deal of willpower not to knock his head against the nearest wall until he fell unconscious. 

“I’m great, actually,” he said. It must have been the truth because he really could not get the images out of his mind. He fiercely hoped Christopher wouldn’t ask him to elaborate because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from listing everything with shocking accuracy. 

To his immense relief, Christopher seemed pacified by the response. One of his brows went up, and he smiled that vague, dreamy smile that always made Conrad want to kiss him. Conrad instinctually took a photo. “Glad to hear it,” Christopher said. “I rather worried you might have given in to despair overnight.”

“Don’t be silly,” Conrad frowned, “I love it here.”

Christopher’s dark eyes turned bright with unbridled joy. “Now that is welcome knowledge, indeed,” he said. 

“Indeed,” echoed Millie, who had come up behind Christopher. She stifled a yawn against the back of her hand. Even doing that, Conrad thought she looked so lovely that he opened his mouth to tell her so. He was quite relieved when she spoke instead and silenced him before he could. “Come along, my dears. I don’t know about you two, but I’m quite ready for breakfast.”

Just as they were starting their meal, Michael came hurrying into the room. He had the air of business about him that told Conrad he’d been awake since much earlier than the rest of them. “Apologies for my tardiness,” he said, seeming pleased to have caught the beginning of the meal.

“Ah, Michael,” Christopher lifted one hand haphazardly in greeting. “I didn’t know you’d gotten back.”

“Only just,” Michael told him. He was about to go on before he noticed Conrad and his whole demeanor shifted, his excitement evident. “Oh, Conrad! Dear fellow, it’s been ages! How good to see you!” He immediately came over and clapped Conrad on the back, who sputtered a bit and choked on the scone he’d been chewing. “I had no idea you were coming! When’d you get in, old boy?”

Conrad was ever so pleased to see Michael. He was always so delighted by Conrad’s presence, and they would get into such discussions about art and culture. That, and Michael greatly appreciated Conrad’s camera and the sorts of pictures it was capable of taking. Michael wouldn’t have any but the seat beside Conrad. This was because he wanted Conrad to show him the most recent photos he’d taken since they’d last met. 

“And you say it’s called a digital camera?” Michael asked, awed as Conrad held the device between them, the pictures showing on the screen.

“It’s the newest model,” Conrad nodded. “You don’t have to get the photographs printed to view them. It’s really very useful.” Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Christopher and Millie watching him fondly while they ate. He got rather self conscious.

“And you’re as skilled as ever, I see,” Michael commented as he took hold of the camera and browsed the photos currently stored on the device. “You really ought to be a professional, you know. The way you take portrait shots, some people would pay good money for that.” Portrait shots? Conrad frowned. He thought the only pictures currently on his camera would be scenic or work-related-

Lords of Karma. He’s forgotten just how many pictures he’d taken of Christopher and Millie since the previous day. His face went red. 

“It helps to have good subjects,” he muttered, and hurried to take the camera back. But, to his chagrin, Michael was holding it out of reach over the table - toward Christopher. 

“Look at these,” Michael was saying, “Such care in every shot!”

Conrad could feel his face getting redder with each passing second. Christopher had taken the camera from Michael and was now looking through the pictures, and Millie had leant over to get a look as well. It’s over, Conrad thought.  _ They’ll have it all figured out now. They won’t want me to keep staying here. _

But, in spite of Conrad’s fear, Christopher smiled as he handed the camera back to Conrad. “They are quite good,” he said meaningfully. 

“Even that’s an understatement,” Millie said. She was practically glowing as she looked at Conrad across the table. “They’re beautiful, Con. You really do have a way with that camera.”

Their praise made Conrad simultaneously want to cry and evaporate out of existence. He couldn’t handle how happy it made him, and he wasn’t sure what to do with the feeling. He took a long sip of coffee to try to give himself time to find his composure. It didn’t work.

“Thanks,” was all he could manage to get out. Manage, because he was using all of his current strength to stop himself from waxing poetic about how much he loved them both and wanted to capture that emotion in his photographs. From the slightly smug grin on Christopher’s face, he thought Christopher probably knew already. 

As revenge, he snapped a couple shots of Christopher while he ate. He was thoroughly put out when those, too, only served to further showcase how handsome Christopher was.

\--

Sometime after lunch, when Conrad was beginning to wonder what exactly he was supposed to do with his time, Michael came to find him. “There you are, old boy,” Michael said cheerfully. His good mood was infectious, and Conrad found himself smiling. “Have you a moment? It’s magic lessons this afternoon, and Christopher was rather insistent that you join us. I fancy he wants you to show the children your specialty.”

“I’d love to help,” Conrad said with much enthusiasm. Anything was better than wandering around on his own, presumably until dinner. And if Christopher wanted him… He blushed. 

“Perfect!” Michael clapped him on the shoulder, unaware of the ripening color on Conrad’s face (he had repeated  _ Christopher wanted him _ a few times in his head, and it was doing funny things to his heart). “Come along, then! It’ll be mostly demonstrations today, but don’t you worry if lecturing isn’t your forte. We all know Christopher loves the sound of his voice.” Michael chuckled.

“So do I,” Conrad muttered, thinking about how undeniably attractive Christopher could look when he spoke about magic, and that specific tone of his voice that almost sounded professorial while he explained the most interesting details.

“What?” Michael said.

“What?” Conrad repeated, mortified. He’d nearly forgotten about the truth spell, but it was determined to remind him in the most unfortunate manner. Thankfully, Michael was content to drop it.

Following Michael to the schoolroom beside the playroom, Conrad was surprised to find everyone else was already waiting - Christopher, who was pacing at the front of the room, the children at their desks, and even Millie, who had conjured a more comfortable sitting chair beside the children. There was an empty seat next to her, which Conrad hoped she’d brought for him.

“Ah, Grant, how good of you to join us,” Christopher said with a lazy grin. 

“Glad to be of service,” Conrad said. To his delight, Millie beckoned to him, patting the vacant chair. “Thanks,” he told her as he sat down. What a considerate person she was. And lovely besides, in that stately floral dress. 

She might not have dressed as luxuriously as Christopher, but every article of clothing that was given the blessing of being worn by her looked just as if not more stunning. Some might have described her as plain. Conrad thought she was one of the handsomest women he’d ever seen. To keep himself from telling her so, he very deliberately raised his camera and took her photo. She noticed as he did, and shifted to pose daintily with her legs titled and head at a model angle. She looked even lovelier than before and Conrad quite literally had to bite his tongue. 

“Us, too!” Julia demanded, and Conrad was grateful for the diversion. He went down the line and snapped pictures of all of the children in various poses. Even the reserved Cat broke out a smile for Conrad’s camera.

“I’d chastise you all for being so distractible,” Christopher laughed, “if I didn’t intend for that very camera to be a centerpiece in our demonstration.”

“This old thing?” Conrad said, intrigued. He realized he hadn’t taken Christopher’s picture yet and snapped one of him as he was rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. Conrad tried not to gulp and took one of Michael, too, in order not to stare too blatantly.

“Yes, your shining new digital camera that you simply cannot stop using,” Christopher chuckled. Conrad blushed and lowered the device. “Fret not, Grant, we’ve all gotten well used to it.”

Millie shot Christopher a look before reaching over to gently pat Conrad’s leg. He was ashamed that such brief contact made him so happy. “I find it endearing. Take as many pictures as you wish, my dear,” Millie told him.

“I will,” Conrad said. He had no intention of stopping - he didn’t think he could, even if he wanted to - so he was relieved the habit didn’t bother them (even if it was exacerbated by the spell that was currently still trying to get him to compliment Millie’s loveliness). 

“Right, well,” Christopher waved a hand for silence, “It’s time we began.” Addressing the children, he went on, “As you are all aware, there are some whose magic works best through a conduit, a focus by which they might channel their magic.” With the flick of a wrist, he conjured a small, white handkerchief, which proceeded to knot itself, a perfect replica of the one Conrad had seen Julia use. “Such tools are common practice for students, to prevent magic overuse and to teach them how to recognize their own abilities. In many cases, though, they may find as they get older and improve that this conduit is the optimal method for their individual skillset.”

“Like me with my camera,” Conrad said. He hadn’t meant to interrupt, but Christopher was wholly unbothered and actually it seemed like that was what he intended.

“Precisely like your camera,” Christopher nodded, gesturing toward the device. “Our dear Grant here,” Conrad’s heart definitely liked that phrasing, “has a bounty of magical talent. The easiest way for him to utilize it is through his camera. It acts as a sort of,” he waved a hand vaguely, “permanent witch sight. When he takes a picture, he is able to capture the actualized forms of spells, as well as the specific magical signature of an individual. This can be used to identify people based on magic alone.”

“And seal someone’s magic, too,” Conrad added. 

“You can do that with your camera?” Roger asked, wide-eyed. “You must be very strong!”

“I’m not anywhere close to your parents’ level,” Conrad said sheepishly, fiddling with the device. 

“Oh, hush,” Millie said and gently tapped Conrad’s leg again, “You’re plenty strong. Sealing magic is no simple spell. Even the most capable of enchanters could never hope to achieve what you can do.” Conrad blushed. 

“Can you show us?” Cat raised his voice. He was watching Conrad curiously.

“That’s where I was heading,” Christopher said. He chuckled, but Conrad thought he could detect a hint of annoyance. Conrad felt bad for a moment, but then he thought it was probably because Christopher didn’t like that everyone had stopped paying attention to him. It reminded Conrad very much of the old days, and he found himself stifling a laugh at the childishness of the reaction. This earned him a bewildered look from Christopher, which just made him laugh harder. “Enjoying yourself, eh, Grant?”

“Exceedingly,” Conrad nodded. 

And he was, really. He loved the feeling of being here with everyone, and feeling so… at home. Not that he didn’t have that feeling in his own world. Of course there were people there who made him feel like he belonged, but… Nothing could ever beat the way he felt here at the castle. And, he supposed, that was due in large part to Christopher’s and Millie’s presence. But there was also the rest of the staff who were always so welcoming, and the children who adored Conrad. If he had to pick between the two, he would definitely-

Ah. He shouldn’t have gone that far. Blaming the spell seemed the easier choice, for bringing out the thoughts he’d tried to force down, but he knew it was only exacerbating how he truly felt. The thoughts were there regardless, whether or not he gave them the time. 

The sudden shift in his mood was not lost on Christopher. He was by Conrad’s side in an instant, a gentle touch on his shoulder. Conrad looked up at him, somewhat dazed. He realized belatedly that Christopher had still been talking, and he’d missed whatever Christopher had wanted him to do. Shame washed over him, but Christopher’s hand remained encouragingly. “Stay with me, Grant,” Christopher said quietly. And Conrad knew he meant  _ pay attention _ , but a little part of his heart soared to hear those words. He did want to stay. He nodded, and tried to pretend he hadn’t gotten stupidly sentimental in the span of a few minutes. He supposed he couldn’t blame that on the spell, could he.

“Are you feeling alright, Con?” Millie asked. “You can go rest, if you need.” She, too, reached out. Conrad’s skin felt warm where she tenderly touched his cheek, likely checking his temperature. It was such a soft caress that Conrad nearly found himself leaning into it, which made him blush brightly. 

“I’m f-fine,” Conrad stammered. He didn’t like that his heart was beating so loudly, enough that he was almost certain everyone else could hear it. “Sorry for spacing out. I’m ready now.”

Christopher and Millie exchanged a look. Then Christopher sighed and removed his hand, and Millie drew back, as well, and Conrad missed their warmth tremendously. “Let’s try that again, shall we?” Christopher said, a small, amused grin on his face. 

The remainder of the lesson went smoothly, to Conrad’s relief. Conrad was able to show the children how his camera worked by photographing various spells, and even helped each one locate their magical signature by photographing them while they used their magic. Julia and Roger were adamant he get copies of the pictures to give to them, which he promised he would do when he had access to his printer. 

Conrad retired to his room afterward, and, with gusto, collapsed onto his bed. 

\--

Dinner was uneventful, though Conrad was glad to dine with the children. He much preferred chatting with them than listening to Bernard’s stocks and shares. Even Michael joined in their conversation, as they continued their topic of magical conduits. Janet was most interested, having been absent from the lesson. 

After dinner, Conrad was wondering whether he should return to his room and attempt to sleep early or try to find some other way to preoccupy himself, when Millie approached him. She wore a somewhat timid expression, which surprised him, and when she accosted him, she sounded uncertain. “Con, dear, are you otherwise engaged this evening?”

Conrad blinked at her. “Not at all,” he said, though he rather wished he could have lied. He was still feeling dispirited over his sentimental distraction during the magic lesson earlier, and would have preferred some time alone. At least, he thought he would have. He supposed the truth of the matter was that he actually wanted Millie’s company. She always had a calming effect on him, where Christopher usually made him feel flustered and hot under the collar. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing. Just… at the moment, he wanted to relax.

And maybe Millie could see that. She smiled kindly at him. “Would you care to read with me? I would sorely appreciate your company.” 

It sounded innocent enough. Perhaps reading would do well to get Conrad’s mind off of… things. “I’d love to,” he told her, smiling as well. 

“Splendid!” Millie said, and held out her arm for him to accompany her. Blushing faintly, Conrad awkwardly slipped his own arm under hers and let her lead the way up the stairs. 

Conrad had expected to simply sit in the same room, leisurely enjoying a book of their own choosing. What he hadn’t expected was for Millie to consult him about which book to read, refusing to give in until he’d given his approval, then drag Conrad over to a couch instead of picking a chair to herself. She sat directly next to him, leaned against him, and held the book so that they could both read. 

“There now,” she said, sounding very pleased with herself. “Isn’t this nice?” As if to make her point, she settled more against him, a pleasant, comfortable weight. Conrad’s whole face felt hot with joy and embarrassment.

“Definitely,” he said. He was so happy to be so close to Millie that he couldn’t even dream of processing the book they’d chosen. He just basked in her warmth and nodded when she inquired about turning the page. This was alright, wasn’t it? He could allow himself this happiness, right? Or was it selfish, since he was-? He inwardly shook himself. No, not right now. He didn’t want to have a repeat of earlier.

They were only a few pages in when the door opened. Conrad jumped a little in surprise, and his eyes widened when Christopher strode in wearing one of his many luxurious gowns and looking quite dreamy and comfortable. “Finished already?” Millie asked, not lifting her gaze from the book. Conrad glanced between Millie, the book, and Christopher, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed.

“Indeed,” Christopher said. “I didn’t want to keep you both waiting.” Conrad gave him a baffled look, which he ignored in favor of picking a book of his own. Then he crossed over to the couch and gazed down at Conrad with a smile. “Is this seat taken?”

Conrad’s face was already flushed. He blinked at Christopher, more baffled than before. “Obviously not,” he said, “but I wager it will be in a moment.”

“Very astute observation, Grant,” Christopher said, smile widening. And true to his word, he sat down directly next to Conrad and, as Millie had done, put his weight against Conrad. 

Conrad feared for a few agonizing seconds that his heart might explode. He rather wondered if it already had because it had begun hammering so hard in his chest that he could barely feel it anymore. And yet, he couldn’t deny how positively marvelous it felt to be sandwiched between the two of them. It was better than anything in the world. His mind raced with all sorts of questions - were they doing this deliberately, did they know how he felt about them, were they trying to cheer him up, were they teasing him. Relaxing had become impossible. He was too fixated, too flustered, too-

“Breathe, Grant,” Christopher chuckled, and Conrad gasped. 

He was being a little too obvious, wasn’t he. His cheeks burned and he tried again to focus on Millie’s book instead. The words blended together on the page, though, and he quickly gave up. Letting out a slow exhale, Conrad considered his options. He could feign an excuse to leave. No, wait, he couldn’t. The spell would just make him say what he was really feeling, which was overstimulated and very much in love. He winced. Lords of Karma, have mercy. Was this really his fate? 

Well… If he thought of it that way, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to let himself enjoy it. Chistopher and Millie clearly didn’t mind. They’d been the instigators, after all. Conrad found it difficult to argue with himself as to why he shouldn’t just give up and bask in the warmth of his companions. As long as he didn’t open his mouth, he wouldn’t accidentally give anything away. He would simply be a friend, enjoying a quiet evening with his mutual friends.

He tried to convince himself that was the case as he hesitantly moved his arms. First, he raised his camera. He hadn’t had a chance to utilize the function that let him take pictures from the front of the camera. He snapped a photo of the three of them, stared at it for a long moment, then lowered the camera. Slowly, carefully, as if doing so would keep the action concealed, he moved. One arm he wrapped around Millie, and the other, around Christopher. He let his head rest on Millie’s shoulder and closed his eyes. He heard Millie hum her approval. Christopher chuckled to himself, though Conrad could almost believe it was a product of whatever Christopher had chosen to read and not vocal affirmation about their current position.

And so Conrad sat comfortably between his two favorite people whilst they read. He was content to do nothing but savor the proximity. Just being able to sit there was enough to make him indescribably happy. At some point, Christopher leaned his head against Conrad’s shoulder, and Conrad felt even more happy. He wouldn’t have minded staying there for the rest of the night.

But, of course, the hour had grown late. Conrad was more than a little disappointed when Christopher put his book down, stretched, and stood. “We should check on the children,” he said with a vague, unbothered shrug. 

“Ah, is it that time already?” Millie set down her own book. She stretched as well, and Conrad reluctantly got up so that she could stand. “I’ll see to the bedtime rituals. Why don’t you walk Conrad back to his room, dear?”

“Gladly,” Christopher smiled. Conrad wanted to point out that he really could walk himself back, seeing as he knew the castle layout as well as they did. But he was not about to pass the opportunity to spend even a little more time with Christopher. Plus, in a way, being walked back gave off the impression that this had been… a date. And that both delighted and ashamed him.

“Thanks,” he said. He half hoped Christopher would proffer his arm the way Millie had when she’d invited Conrad to read, but Christopher simply beckoned for Conrad to follow.

“I’m glad to see you looking better,” Christopher said as they walked. “You gave me a fright during that lesson earlier, I admit. Whatever were you thinking about that had you so-” Conrad cut him off by stopping abruptly and clapping a hand over his own mouth. Christopher halted as well and glanced back at him, bewildered. “Grant?”

Conrad forced his mouth to stay closed and did his best to convey  _ Please don’t ask _ with his eyes. If Christopher finished the question, Conrad knew he’d have no choice but to answer, and he still wasn’t anywhere near ready to confess all yet. Christopher frowned. He opened his mouth, then shut it, expression steadily becoming more and more vague. He sighed after a moment. “Grant, you know, it’s…” Trailing off, Christopher sighed again and seemed to change his mind. “Suit yourself.”

Conrad was grateful that he let it go, but Christopher’s silence the rest of the way to his room almost felt worse than the question. Conrad knew he must have offended Christopher somehow. His refusal to talk had upset Christopher. Now Christopher would be angry with him until the spell wore and he left Chrestomanci Castle. That was a depressing thought.

Conrad was moping as he reached the door to his room. He expected Christopher to leave, but Christopher lingered, looking vaguely thoughtful. “Grant,” he said, pursing his lips. After a few seconds, he began to smile, and Conrad’s heart leapt into his throat. “I appreciate that you spent the evening with us. It was a lovely time.”

“Y-yeah,” Conrad nodded. He was very confused by the sudden shift in Christopher’s countenance. 

“I wondered, though,” Christopher went on, “if you wanted to continue. Perhaps get a little more comfortable.” He was gesturing with his eyes further up the stairs. 

Conrad gaped. He couldn’t… He couldn’t really be suggesting that Conrad…? But that was just it, right? What else could he mean? There was no other way to interpret those words. 

He was suggesting that Conrad join them. Possibly in bed. Conrad was almost positive now that Christopher was a mind reader. Or maybe he really was just frightfully accurate at guessing what Conrad was thinking. Conrad wasn’t sure which idea unnerved him more.

“I…” Conrad’s tongue refused to work. He couldn’t get anything out, and he could feel his face steadily turning a very deep shade of red. He wanted it so badly. If he said he did, would Christopher let it happen?

But soon, Christopher was chuckling to himself. “Don’t think too hard, Grant,” he said, and reached out, genty tussling Conrad’s hair. “Goodnight. I hope you have a satisfying rest.” And then he was gone, retreating up the rest of the stairs to disappear into his own room. 

Conrad stared after him. He willed his legs to move, but he felt glued to the spot. He stood and stared, and felt progressively more foolish.

“No fair,” he muttered. “You don’t honestly expect me to sleep after that, do you?”

\--

As he had predicted, Conrad barely slept. His mind wouldn’t stop racing. Any moment of rest was short lived. He almost thought to pass on breakfast just to try to get a few more winks, but he didn’t want to worry his hosts. It was all he could do but force himself up.

When he washed, he could see how tired he looked in the mirror. His eyes drooped and there were shadows beneath them that made him look ill. He sighed. If he cared enough, he would try some sort of appearance spell to touch up, but he didn’t trust himself to get it right in his current state. 

It wasn’t just the sleep deprivation that was bothering him. Every time he thought of the previous evening, of how perfect he felt spending a domestic time with  _ them _ , his heart ached. And Christopher’s behavior perplexed him, as well. He kept wondering if there was something he was missing - and if there was, how was he supposed to figure out what? He’d never been any good at asserting himself. He remembered Millie had once complimented his attention to detail, but he thought she must have been exaggerating. 

He was tired; literally, of course, but in general as well. Tired of feeling so strongly. Tired of hiding. Tired of having the things he wanted held just out of reach. Tired of being tired of everything.

Who knew a simple truth spell could cause him this much trouble. He hoped it was just the sleep deprivation making him feel worse. Maybe if he dozed off with a slice of toast in his mouth, they would send him back to bed and he could spend the rest of the day resting. 

When he sat down for breakfast, he had forgotten how animated Michael could be, and that Michael was still determined to have the seat next to him. Conrad did his best to be attentive as he slowly ate. He could feel Christopher watching him which just made him feel worse.

“How’s work, by the way?” Michael asked as he sipped his coffee. “They gave you a vacation, did they?”

Conrad started. He hadn’t expected the subject to switch to him. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, he thought how to answer. “It’s alright,” he said with a shrug. “And yes. It wasn’t intentional, but I had an… er, accident that resulted in a necessary break in my workload.”

“Prone to overwork,” Michael nodded sympathetically. “It certainly isn’t easy, being a civil servant. But someone’s got to do it, I suppose.”

“You sound put upon,” Christopher said, chuckling. “Yet you’re the one who does the most traveling, with the least responsibilities. Really, Michael, yours and Grant’s jobs couldn’t be more different.”

Michael made a face. “Semantics,” he waved a hand dismissively. “I also happen to like my job.” He took a sip of coffee and glanced sideways toward Conrad. “You don’t seem too happy, though, old boy. That King of yours work you too hard?”

At that, Conrad blinked in surprise. “No, it’s not that,” he said and shook his head. “I… guess I tend to work myself too hard.”

“You and I have that in common, Grant,” Christopher said melodramatically.

“Says the world’s laziest man,” Millie muttered, rolling her eyes. Christopher pretended he hadn’t heard her and took a deliberate bite of toast. “Con, dear, you really should take more breaks, you know. It’ll do you no good to run yourself ragged.” 

Conrad knew she was right. If he kept on the way he was, he would only exhaust himself and the quality of his work would decline. But it was the only way to keep his mind occupied, to make sure he didn’t think too much about how far away his favorite people were and how out of reach they would always be. 

He really was tired. Without thinking, he’d brought out his camera and begun browsing through all the pictures he’d taken since coming here. He stopped at the picture from last night, of the three of them on the couch together. They looked so comfortable, so happy… He could see in his own expression how in love he was. He thought he felt tears prick his eyes. He just wanted to ignore everything required of him, to give up proper decorum and be honest and-

“Con?” Millie said. She sounded so concerned. Conrad realized after a moment that it was because he actually had started crying. Drat. Perhaps he should have stayed in bed after all.

Now that he’d started, though, he couldn’t stop. He felt quite pathetic and silly, sniffling into his breakfast like a lonely child. Christopher and Millie exchanged a look. Michael seemed quite lost as to what to do. Conrad wanted to assure them all that he was fine, to just ignore him, but his voice refused to cooperate. All he could do was put down his camera and futilely wipe at his face.

Soon, Christopher was up. He went around the table and gently put his hands on Conrad’s shoulders. “We should talk,” Christopher said in a soft voice.

“Don’t want to,” Conrad mumbled.

“Is there anything I can do?” Michael asked, fretting to the side. “It’s not something I said, is it?”

“No, Michael, you’ve done nothing wrong,” Christopher assured him. Then, to Conrad, he tried again, a bit more urgently, “Conrad,  _ please _ .”

Oh. It must have been serious if he was using Conrad’s name instead of the nickname. That was enough to stop some of Conrad’s tears, enough that he could see Millie hovering behind Christopher, her expression a mixture of concern and perhaps frustration. Conrad wondered if both feelings were directed at him. That made him feel worse.

But he didn’t protest as Christopher stood him up from the table and led him out. They didn’t go far, ending up in an empty study just down the hall. By then, Conrad had begun crying again, angrily this time because he really did want to stop. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make the tears cease.

Millie opened her mouth to speak, but Christopher started first. “Conrad, please talk to us.” His voice had a hint of a command to it, subtle, but desperate. “Stop holding back.”

Conrad screwed up his face and wished very fiercely that Christopher hadn’t said that. As he was, he could do nothing to stop the mess that came tumbling out of his mouth. “I’m- I’m sorry,” he gasped, trying frantically to dry his tears. “I just… I got… I was so…” Nothing wanted to cooperate. His thoughts were a jumble of all the feelings he’d had since he arrived, and his tongue kept fumbling trying to say them all at once, which just upset him more. He buried his face in his hands and groaned. “I love you both so much,” he finally got out in a strained voice. “I really, really do. I love being with you. I want to stay here.”

The silence that followed his admission was unsettling. But soon he felt hands on his arm, gently moving them from his face. When he looked up, he found the pair of them smiling softly at him. “We love you, too, Conrad,” Millie said in her loveliest, sweetest tone. She practically glowed as she said it. “Thank you for telling us how you feel.” 

Conrad stared. He kept staring. He wondered briefly if he had actually managed to fall asleep after all, and this was a fever dream of his deepest desires. 

But then Christopher was leaning in and kissing him on the lips. Conrad whimpered quietly, rigid with shock, but his feelings soon overpowered him and he kissed back fervently. Everything in him screamed that this was beyond belief, but at that point he cared little for logic and more about how wonderful Christopher’s mouth was. Millie kissed him as well, peppering his face with happy little pecks that made him want to cry for a very different reason. 

When they both drew back, Conrad could only stare. He felt like there were hearts in his eyes, and his chest ached with something akin to joy. “You… you do?” he finally asked, gaze flitting between the two of them. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Millie laughed. 

“I thought we had done a fairly decent job of showing it, but maybe not,” Christopher said wryly.

Millie turned to glare at Christopher, who shied away, pointedly avoiding her eyes. “You really are quite horrible, you know that?” she said to him. “Poor Conrad has been suffering this whole time and you could have helped him from the very start! But no, you had to decide that you couldn’t say a single word until he did.”

“You went along with it,” Christopher muttered sheepishly.

Conrad tried to understand what they were saying, but he felt lost. “What do you mean?” he asked. He was trying to keep up, to process what was happening, but it all felt like so much. Particularly because he could still feel the warmth of Christopher’s lips on his.

Millie sighed, still giving Christopher a disapproving look. Then she shook her head and looked to Conrad with an apologetic smile. “Oh Con, please forgive me. When you both arrived, Christopher was determined that I keep my mouth shut. I would have told you in an instant if he hadn’t been so unwilling to do things any other way.” At that, she shot another glare at Christopher. “Really, you need to stop waiting for someone else to talk first. You shirk all responsibility by pretending it’s not yours, and you always make matters worse.”

Christopher was beginning to look harrowed. His brows furrowed and, after a moment, he met Conrad’s gaze and gave him a meaningful look. “I’m sorry,” he said. Which was another thing to overwhelm Conrad, because Christopher usually never apologized. “I made the mistake of thinking the spell would push you into talking, if I framed it in the right way. It was rather childish of me, and I neglected to consider that you would be more hurt by that than anything.”

Suddenly Conrad understood. That was why Christopher had wanted him to come. They’d known all along that Conrad had been avoiding them, and Christopher had thought the truth spell would encourage Conrad to tell them how he felt. He felt foolish. Had he really been that obvious the whole time?

“You took it harder than I anticipated,” Christopher went on, frowning. “I know I exaggerated the whole thing, but I figured you’d be able to tell how weak the spell actually was. Since you went along, it seemed to me that you might have been taking the opportunity for yourself.”

Conrad’s eyes widened. He felt even more foolish. “The spell was weak…?” he repeated.

“Oh, very,” Millie said, nodding. “If I’m not wrong, it wore off yesterday around dinnertime.” 

“It did, indeed,” Christopher confirmed.

And then Conrad stood there feeling exceedingly foolish and steadily more upset. Not only had the spell been weak, it had worn off so quickly. So then… All of the struggling was basically self inflicted. “... You should have told me!” he groaned and buried his face in his hands. He was the world’s biggest fool. He was absolutely idiotic. He was-

“Con, I’m sorry,” Christopher said, gently taking him by the shoulders. “It was wretchedly dishonest of me and I shouldn’t have done that to you. I really am sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Conrad mumbled. His words were muffled by his hands but he hadn’t the heart to move them when he still felt so foolish. “It was also my fault. For denying everything for this long. I suppose...” He sighed. “... I reacted so strongly because I really was tired of my own refusal to deal with my feelings.” At length, he lowered his hands and looked up at Christopher, then at Millie. His heart ached. “I just… I thought there was no way I could have this. I convinced myself it was impossible.” Though, now that he thought about it, he realized just how blatant they had made it that they did care about him. He’d just… not been capable of seeing it.

“We’re not complete without you,” Millie said with a small, affectionate smile. 

“We never have been,” Christopher added quietly. 

And for a few, blissful moments, Conrad let himself feel very loved. Then he turned questioning eyes to Christopher, face flushed. “Does that mean you were serious last night?” he asked. Christopher’s eyes widened a bit, and Millie gave him a curious look.

“Serious about what?” she said, eyes narrowing at Christopher. “What did you say to him after I went to see to the children?”

To Conrad’s astonishment, Christopher’s cheeks were dusted a faint pink as he averted his gaze, giving his vaguest look. “I.. It was just…” He shifted uncomfortably. “I might have made a… haphazard invitation of sorts.”

Conrad tried to push past his embarrassment to clarify. “You seemed to imply… that I could come sleep with you both, if I wanted to.” He blushed and looked down. “Before I could compose myself to answer, you left.”

Millie stared at Christopher. “You mean to say you did extend an olive branch… but were too much of a coward to see it through?” She looked like she wanted to hit him. “We could have had this sorted out last night!” 

“I got flustered,” Christopher said, and actually pouted. Conrad had trouble believing Christopher had been anything but composed, but he couldn’t deny it was very refreshing to see him squirm. That, and he really liked where this was heading.

“Is that why you put me in the room next to yours?” he asked.

Christopher was still blushing a bit as he nodded. “That was… the intention,” he said, shrugging. “Sort of.”

“Oh, hush. Just admit you wanted him to come sleep with us,” Millie lightly smacked his arm. 

“Like you have any room to talk,” Christopher shot back. “You said you weren’t certain how he felt until you saw those pictures he took of us.” 

Now it was Millie’s turn to blush. “You’re twisting my words,” she frowned. “I said it was a definite confirmation, that’s all! Was it wrong of me to hope?”

At this point, Conrad was so overcome with feeling that all he could do was throw himself at both of them. Christopher grunted in surprise, and Millie let out a small, “oh!” Conrad was so happy he didn’t think he could put it into words, so he just hugged them as tightly as he could. His head hurt from crying and lack of sleep, and he felt that if he laid down, he might pass out. But that was nothing compared to the warmth of knowing his love was reciprocated. They loved him and wanted him here. That was more than enough for Conrad.

“Can I stay?” he asked quietly.

Christopher chuckled and raised a brow at him. “As long as you want,” he replied. “With how busy you’ve been, I daresay they can spare you for a bit longer.”

“And Conrad, my love,” Millie said, and Conrad’s heart thrilled to be referred to that way, “You really should be taking more breaks. Your job is important, but so is taking care of yourself. And,” she paused to wink, “Nothing says taking care of yourself like world-hopping to spend time with your loved ones.”

Conrad beamed. How had he gone for so long with this? It was beyond him. He was quite ready to see how much better he felt, being honest with his companions. “Can I make a request?”

“Anything,” Millie nodded.

“Almost anything,” Christopher amended, giving her a look.

Conrad tried not to laugh. He was almost giddy with happiness. “When you’ve finished eating, can we… lie down together? I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

Millie gave him such a sad look that he almost felt guilty for the bout of insomnia. “Of course we can, my love!” she exclaimed, pressing up to kiss him gently. With a pointed look to Christopher, she added, “Right?”

Christopher sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and nodded. “As it happens, I have no pressing matters demanding my attention. Michael can handle the children. The rest of our morning is yours, Con.”

To Conrad, it sounded as if Christopher was still in the process of figuring out how to reallocate whatever else his morning plans had been. That he’d be willing to do so for Conrad made Conrad very happy. So did the thought that he’d be able to rest with the two people he loved. 

He thought sleeping would be out of the question, that he’d be too happy and too excited to actually sleep. But he soon found himself quite comfortable, curled up with Christopher on one side, arm around him, and Millie on the other, gently running her fingers through his hair. He was just tired now; tired, but very, very content. He dozed off to the thought that he would have to negotiate more frequent vacations. Maybe he could even live part-time here. That was a lovely thought indeed. He would make it work. He wasn’t going to ignore the truth anymore. 


End file.
